Introducing the latest TikTok-approved artist, Vaultboy. Dropping his debut EP “vaultboy EP”, following on from the success of his infectious tongue-in-cheek cut “everything sucks”, the pop star on the rise is now looking to infect his listeners with sweet-sounding melodies and repeat-worthy tunes galore, something he is doing with great ease and success, we might add.
When discussing how his hit song came to be, the artist explained, “It was actually a comment saying “can you try writing a happy song?” I thought I might as well try, but I was having trouble coming up with a concept. Then I jokingly said to myself, ‘everything sucks, just kidding’, and was like, that could work. The song basically wrote itself after that, but it all started with me reading that comment on TikTok!”
Upon the release of his new project, the singer sat down with Wonderland to discuss going viral on TikTok and how he hopes people feel when they listen to his work. Head below to enjoy our interview with Vaultboy…
Heya, how are you! How has this past year been for you?
Hey hey! I’m doing great! This past year has flown by for me, but despite the back parts of it – mostly due to covid – it’s been one of the best years of my life.
With everything that has happened due to the pandemic, was your creativity affected?
Definitely. Especially in the beginning when nobody was leaving their homes. Isolation is usually not a great thing, but for me, I think I was able to hone in a lot of my creativity and hone in my vision for who I wanted to be as an artist.
How did you first get involved in music, what sparked the interest?
I come from a musical family, so that was definitely the catalyst. I’ve been singing since I was a little kid, and never lost sight of my love for music. It’s always been the best way I can express my feelings.
Where are you from, did your hometown impact your sound in any way?
I’m from Jacksonville, FL and I think it did affect my sound in a way. I was super into the music scene when I was in high school, specifically the pop punk and emo music scene, and a lot of that influence has stayed with me even as my music taste has changed over the years.
You wrote your hit song in a day, what inspired this?
It was actually a comment saying “can you try writing a happy song?” I thought I might as well try, but I was having trouble coming up with a concept. Then I jokingly said to myself, “everything sucks, just kidding”, and was like, that could work. The song basically wrote itself after that, but it all started with me reading that comment on TikTok!
Is this the normal creative process for writing songs?
Definitely not, but honestly I’m not sure if there is a normal process for songwriting. I’ve written so many songs that I love in such a variety of environments. At the end of the day, people usually only hear a finished song. Normal is just whatever it took to get you there!
From this, you blew up on TikTok what was your initial reaction to this?
It was really strange, and it felt like a lot was happening at once. But, more than anything, it just motivated me to work even harder and write more and better songs!
What do you want people to take away from your sound?
My one goal is to make people feel nostalgic when they listen to my music. I think nostalgia is an incredibly powerful feeling, and it’s what I feel when I listen to my favourite songs. I hope people feel that when they listen to my music.
Who would you say inspires you?
So many people, but a few artists I’m super inspired by are Holly Humberstone, LANY, Troy Sivan, and Griff!
What are you most excited for in 2022?
Playing my first live shows as Vaultboy! I think about it every day and I can’t WAIT!